Motorcycles, all terrain vehicles (ATV's), three wheelers, motorized bikes, scooters, etc. are available today in a wide variety of styles and configurations. Cruiser style motorcycles have been popular with motorcycle riders for decades. This popularity has spawned the development of customized cruiser style motorcycles. The customized cruiser style motorcycles have now developed into another motorcycle genre, the fully customized motorcycle.
One popular configuration of a fully customized motorcycle is a category of motorcycles with a frame having no rear suspension. This style is typically referred to as a rigid frame motorcycle. One of the primary reason motorcycle builders like to construct this style of motorcycle is that it has a rather clean, simplistic appearance. However, as one might suspect, a rigid frame motorcycle does generate a stiffer and harsher ride and some rigid frame motorcycles exhibit rather poor handling characteristics. To counter the stiff ride, some motorcycle builders and manufacturers have constructed motorcycles that have a rear suspension but the rear suspension is not visible or has very few visible components. This style of motorcycle frame is sometimes referred to as a “soft tail”.
Many soft tail style motorcycles utilize a swing arm that has limited travel because of the appearance and/or geometry of the frame. Consequently, some soft tail style motorcycles have a poorer quality ride when compared to motorcycles with a conventional swing arm.
Likewise, certain recreational vehicles like three wheelers, ATV's, scooter, motorized bicycles, etc. utilize frame assemblies with one or more swing arms attached. By rearranging the location and pivot point of such swing arm(s) one can design and manufacture a smoother riding vehicle or a vehicle with a different profile and/or appearance.
Now an assembly has been invented for a motorized vehicle which utilizes a relatively longer, travel suspension setup so as to improve the ride quality and comfort of the vehicle, especially a motorcycle, while minimizing the number of visible suspension components.